Latinos were infected at a younger age and were less likely to have
blood contact during combat, surgery, and needle stick injury, but were
more frequently HIV coinfected (20.4%vs 3.9%, p< 0.0001) and prior
HAV infection (39.9%vs 26.4%, p= 0.0001).

Latinos were more likely to be treatment candidates, but less likely
to actually initiate treatment. Liver histology (123 Latinos, 743 Caucasians)
showed no difference in fibrosis or fibrosis rate, but steatosis (54.7%
vs 43.2%, p= 0.038) was more common in Latinos.

Multivariate analysis found Latino race and history of recent alcohol
use to be associated with early treatment discontinuation, whereas genotype
and viral load but not ethnicity to be associated with SVR.

In conclusion, the authors write, Latinos were infected younger,
more frequently HIV coinfected, more likely to meet criteria for antiviral
therapy yet less likely to initiate treatment and had a trend toward lower
SVR rates than Caucasians, but not in severity of liver disease.

Latino ethnicity was associated with early discontinuation but
not as an independent predictor of SVR.